Lawrence Noll

 

The Noll homestead 1918. Pictured (L-R) Bloss Noll, Maria (Mary) Noll, Dora Noll ?, Clara Noll ?, Bill Noll and Lawrence Noll

Lawrence Noll was born April 22 1894 in Mooney Creek Kansas. His father Bloss was born in Germany, and his mother Maria born in St. Charles MO. They were among the first settlers in the Kansas Territory in the late 1850s. Lawrence had eleven siblings. As a young man he played baseball and was noted by the Atchison Daily Globe on June 9 1914 as a "pretty good hitter".  According to the Winchester Star on what apparently was a real slow news week on April 24 1908 "Lawrence Noll shot a large possum in a tree. It had eleven young ones".

Lawrence and Minnie Noll Wedding Day Photos 1920

In 1920 he married Minnie Corpstein. They hosted a wedding dance and took off for a honeymoon in Chicago. Family lore has it that when he was dating Minnie her home being several miles away from his,  he would drive home late in a wagon often sleeping in the back and letting the horse just take him home waking up by the barn. He played the fiddle and hosted dances in the loft of a large barn he built in 1920. It still stands today. He and Minnie farmed  and raised four children one being Ruth's mother Helen. Ruth remembers her grandfather as a quiet kind man. He passed away on April 21, 1976 one day shy of his 82nd birthday.

(L-R) Jim Noll, Ruby Noll, Lawrence Noll. (Bottom L-R) Jean Noll, Minnie Noll and Helen Noll

Lawrence and Minnie Noll

Helen, Jim and Lawrence Noll , Mooney Creek Kansas,

Eleanor Castle

 

Eleanor Castle Downing was my fathers mom. She was born in Late February the 23rd or 24th 1905. The Ogdensburg State St Lawrence Democrat ran a small line” A baby girl was born to Mr & Mrs Lute Castle Saturday night”. Her mother Sarah Had been born in Ireland. When Eleanor was a young girl she played piano. She left home at 17 to continue Nursing Training, traveling from Norfolk to Brooklyn with her older sister Fannie. Two years later they both “received black arm bands making them charges of their wards”. On Feb 14, 1926 a week shy of her 21st birthday she married my grandfather Lawrence. She had two children the year she turned 22. My Dad and his Sister Gloria. Richard followed three years later. On this day in 1934 she passed away, most likely pneumonia. She was 29.

Beginnings Week 1 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks. The Tractor

 Week 1 52 Ancestors in 52 weeks. "Beginnings"

My Brother in law Keith wrote us a letter last week. Yes a real pen and paper letter, we do get one once in a while mostly from my wife's side of the family. Keith wrote that he has been among other things getting over Covid by watching videos from a you tube channel of a farmer who lives in upstate New York. He mentions how the tractors used in a video are the same as his father Sam used over his lifetime. The video is titled 'the old farmalls go head-to-head pulling the manure spreaderF-20,H,10-20. Which will win?" I have included a link to the vidoe at the bottom.

Keith: " I'm not sure if Dad ever worked with an F-20, but he did tell me at the McClouth Threshing Bee, about 40 years ago, that the first tractorhe ever drove was a 10-20. So you can see two of the tractors Dad spent hours on in action, the H and the 10-20. The tractor the farmer in the video uses to load the manure is a 504, which looks similiar to a 656, which Dad finished with". 

The farmer whose name is Pete mentions the 10-20 was a 1924 model. Sam was born in 1920 and I am pretty sure they still had some mules or horses to use, so I am guessing it was somewher arond 1930-32 when he learned to drive one like it.

Heres a photo of a 1924 McCormick-Deering Tractor like the one in the video.

Parts manual for the tractor. You can actually still buy parts on ebay!

1924 McCormick Deering 10-20 that has been restored.

In 1925 The Miller's farmed near Easton  in Leavenwoth County. San was listed in the 1925 Kansas Census as 4. 

Sam and Helen Early 1950s

Farmall H Tractor

June 1959

Mid 1960s

Millers 1978

Farmall 504 Tractor. According to Keith this was similar to the last tractor used before he retired. I was at his farm sale when he retired and remember people bidiing on a tractor like this. 

the OLD FARMALLS go head-to-head pulling the manure spreader: F-20, H, and 10-20. which will win? - YouTube

52 weeks 52 ancestors This week; Daniel Castle Jr.

     Daniel Castle Jr. was my fathers Great Grandfather on his mothers side. Daniel was born in Vermont in 1849. In 1850 he is seen in the US Census in Vermont living with his family and his grandparents Issac and Olive. When Daniel was just four years old 4 his father Daniel Castle Sr. and His mother Mary Chamberlain Castle picked up the family and moved across the Adirondacks to The St. Lawrence Valley settling in the town of Norfolk New York. They farmed and raised a family.

     In December of 1863 when Daniel was 14 he enlisted in the Union Army lying about his age, his older brother Jeremiah enlisted a week later, maybe out of a sense of duty or maybe  to watch out for his younger brother. They enlisted in the 14th New York Heavy Artillery. Possibly because of his small stature, he was Five foot four according to records or possibly he because really looked 14 Daniel was assigned the rank of Private and given the duty of Musician, Drummer. The brothers participated in some of the costliest  battles of the war. Daniel survived and made it home, Jeremiah was wounded and died near Petersburg in July 1864.

    The 14th Heavy Artillery was give the unfortunate task of being one of the front regiment to storm Petersburg in July 1864 in  "The Battle of The Crater". Petersburg had been under siege for some time by Grants Union  Army. The idea arose to have soldiers with mining experience create a tunnel under the lines to plant large amounts of explosives hoping to open a gap to move into the Confederates Fort.  The battle was featured in the Movie "Cold Mountain". It was a disaster, Daniel somehow made it through. His brother having been transferred to The 6th NY Heavy Artillery was wounded a few days earlier as he attempted to retrieve water , later passing away from his wounds. 

Below is an officers account of the battle.

IN THE CRATER.¹
BY CHARLES H. HOUGHTON, BREVET MAJOR, 14TH NEW YORK HEAVY ARTILLERY.

ON the evening of July 29th, 1864, we of the Ninth Corps in front of Petersburg knew that an important movement was to take place, as we were ordered out for inspection and dress parade, and soon after returning to our place in the trenches, orders came to prepare three days’ cooked rations, and ammunition was distributed. Soon we were relieved by troops from the Eighteenth Corps and marched back to the open ground several rods in rear of our works and halted, lying down in the sand till about 3 o’clock in the morning of the 30th. We now marched toward the left, and passing out through covered ways advanced to the front line of works. The men were cautioned to prevent the rattling of tin cups and bayonets, because we were so near the enemy that they would discover our movements. We marched with the stillness of death; not a word was said above a whisper. We knew, of course, that something very important was to be done and that we were to play a prominent part. We formed our lines of battle in the trenches of General Potter’s division. Our brigade, commanded by Colonel E. G. Marshall of the 14th New York Artillery, was first in line and formed three lines of battle, the 2d Pennsylvania Provisional Artillery in the first line, the 14th New York Artillery in the second line, and the 179th New York and 3d Maryland in the third line. Our regiment, originally composed of three battalions, had been consolidated into two of six companies each, the 1st Battalion commanded by Captain L. J. Jones, and the 2d Battalion by myself. Each battalion was acting as an independent regiment.

While waiting quietly and anxiously for the explosion, men had been allowed to lie down in line. I was lying on the ground resting my head on my hand and thinking of the probable result, when the denouement came. I shall never forget the terrible and magnificent sight. The earth around us trembled and heaved — so violently that I was lifted to my feet. Then the earth along the enemy’s lines opened, and fire and smoke shot upward seventy-five or one hundred feet. The air was filled with earth, cannon, caissons, sand-bags and living men, and with everything else within the exploded fort. One huge lump of clay as large as a hay-stack or small cottage was thrown out and left on top of the ground toward our own works. Our orders were to charge immediately after the explosion, but the effect produced by the falling of earth and the fragments sent heavenward that appeared to be coming right down upon us, caused the first line to waver and fall back, and the situation was one to demoralize most troops. I gave the command “Forward,” but at the outset a serious difficulty had to be surmounted. Our own works, which were very high at this point, had not been prepared for scaling. But scale them in some way we must, and ladders were improvised by the men placing their bayonets between the logs in the works and holding the other end at their hip or on shoulders, thus forming steps over which men climbed. I with others stood on top of the works

pulling men up and forming line; but time was too precious to wait for this, and Colonel Marshall, who was standing below within our works, called to me to go forward. This was done very quickly and our colors were the first to be planted on the ruined fort. We captured several prisoners and two brass field-pieces, light twelve-pounders, which were in the left wing (their right) of the fort and had not been buried beneath the ruins. Prisoners stated that about one thousand men were in the fort. If so, they were massed there over night, expecting an attack, as the fort could not accommodate so many men; but nearly all who were within it were killed or buried alive. We succeeded in taking out many — some whose feet would be waving above their burial-place; others, having an arm, hand, or head only, uncovered; others, alive but terribly shaken. Being convinced that a magazine was near the two pieces of artillery, I detailed a sergeant and some men to search for it and to man the guns. The magazine, containing a supply of ammunition, was found. We then hauled back the pieces of artillery to get a range over the top of works on a Confederate gun on our left that was throwing canister and grape into us. We loaded and fired and silenced the gun, and at our first fire forty-five prisoners came in, whom I sent to our lines. We loaded and placed the other piece in position to use on the advance of the enemy if a counter-charge should be attempted. A charge was made upon us, and the fire from this piece did terrible execution on their advancing lines, and with the fire of our men they were repulsed. On the repulse of this charge we captured a stand of colors. Sergeant James S. Hill of Company C of our regiment secured the flag in a hand-to-hand encounter.(1) At this time General Hartranft, who stood within the crater, called for three cheers for the members of the 14th New York Artillery who were handling the guns, at the same time requesting me to continue in command of them. But other work had to be done. We charged and captured the works behind the crater, but our supports had not come. The delay in getting them over our own works gave the enemy a chance to recover their surprise and resume their stations at their guns, which they opened upon our men then crossing the field. When the colored troops advanced they could not be forced beyond the “crater” for some time, and when they were, were driven back to our lines, or into the pit.

When our brigade line was forced back from the enemy’s breastworks to the crater, the colored division and other troops having previously fallen back, I stopped at the crater. Only a few of the 14th were there, most of them wounded. I went through the crater to the wing of the fort where I had left the guns in charge of a sergeant, and while I was passing through a narrow entrance General Hartranft, who had preceded me, called to me to drop down and crawl in, as sharp-shooters were picking off every one passing that point, which was in full view of the enemy. I escaped their bullets, but the next officer who came received a serious if not mortal wound. In this wing of the fort were Generals Potter, Hartranft, and S. G. Griffin, and myself, with one or two other officers. Bartlett, who was in the pit of the crater, had received a shot, disabling his artificial leg, and he could not be carried to the rear. Colonel E. G. Marshall, commanding our brigade, was then on the outside of the fort. After remaining there some time and knowing that if the stay was prolonged we would go to Richmond and to Confederate prisons, or be killed, as the enemy were on the right flank and front of the crater then, I decided to get back to our works. The generals tried to dissuade me, predicting sure death to any one crossing that field, which was swept by both artillery and infantry fire of the enemy from both directions and was so thickly strewn with killed and wounded, both white and black, that one disposed to be so inhuman might have reached the works without stepping on the ground. The generals thought that a covered way back to our lines could be dug, or if we could hold the breach till night we could escape. The sun was pouring its fiercest heat down upon us and our suffering wounded. No air was stirring within the crater. It was a sickening sight: men were dead and dying all around us; blood was streaming down the sides of the crater to the bottom, where it gathered in pools for a time before being absorbed by the hard red clay.

Corporal Bigelow of Company L was that day serving me as orderly. When asked which he preferred, to remain in the crater or attempt to reach the works, he replied that he would follow his commander whichever way he decided upon. So we passed through the embrasure looking toward our own line to prepare for the attempt. Colonel Marshall asked what I intended doing, and when informed, he also said it was sure death to go. I replied that it would be sure death or starvation in Confederate prisons to remain, and that if I could reach our lines I could release all of them by opening fire so that the smoke would obscure the field and all could come out. I gave the word that when the next shell came, Corporal Bigelow and I would start, keeping a little apart. We did so, and, passing through showers of bullets, we reached our line in safety and I ordered my men to open fire on the enemy’s line. They replied by a furious fire, and soon the smoke settled over the field, and under cover of that fire all the general officers but Bartlett escaped. Bartlett and Colonel Marshall were captured.

The loss of our regiment that day was as follows: One lieutenant (Hartley) killed, two wounded; Colonel Marshall and Lieutenants George H. Wing (Company L), Faass, and Grierson prisoners; and 126 men killed, wounded, and missing—this from less than 400 taken into the charge.

***

(1)Adjutant C. H. VanBrakle and Sergeant Hill presented the flag to General Ledlie to be forwarded to the War Department, and then returned to the front. When the regiment was forced back to our own works, Sergeant Hill was missing; he was probably killed.

For his bravery that day he was awarded a medal by Congress, which was afterward presented by General Meade in person to his company for him. He was also commissioned a lieutenant in the regiment. Both medal and commission were sent to his mother.—C. H. H.

***

Source:

1. Battles and Leaders of the Civil War, Volume 4, pages 561-562 

                        An Artists depiction of the crater.

A list of battles and casualties for the 14th NY Heavy Artillery.

Record of Daniel and Jeremiahs service. They are second and third from the bottom.

 

    Daniel mustered out in April of 1865 in Washington DC and made his way home to Norfolk New York to the family farm. In1877 he married Fannie Briley of Ogdensburg. They had two sons, Isaac who died in 1910 and Lucius who was my great grandfather. Fannie passed away in 1903.  

                                                   From the Massena Observer June 25th 1903

    

    In the local newspapers Daniel's name comes up many time's over the next few decades, being mentioned in hunting trips, social visits, and family death notices. Daniel was active in city politics, a member of the Republican Party he was elected "overseer of the poor" several times. In October 1918 a notice appeared in the Norwood News announcing a farm auction. Because the land isn't included it was either sold or Daniel was merely retiring and "selling out" as some farmers do at that age. 

    I would have loved to see a Civil War Vet tooling around on an Excelsior Motorcycle.

    Daniel passed away in Jan. 1926 about two months before his granddaughter Eleanor married my Grandfather. 

Pottsdam-Herald Recorder Jan. 1 1926.

On The Map. Week #38 52 ancestors in 52 weeks. Downing's Restaurant and Bar Flatbush, Brooklyn

     In March I  posted a picture of my grandfather in the Bar he owned in Flatbush, Brooklyn. This photo has hung on the wall in at least three homes I've lived in over the last 38 years, the original belonged to my father and hung in his house. Over the years I had lost track of where exactly it was located. I'm sure he told me the address but I had forgotten. I knew somewhere in Flatbush near Empire Blvd. but where?  So I asked for help. My cousin Marguerite commented that another cousin Richie had mentioned that the bar was called Mulligans before Larry bought it.  Richie added that the customer was none other than his father my Uncle Dick Downing. Leads! Cool!

    While researching I  found Larry's World War II Draft card which listed the name and address of his employer as John Mulligan , 1042 Nostrand Avenue. 

    New York City has some really detailed pictures taken in 1940 for tax purposes. With the address I was able to locate it on the map. 

The little red square in the map is 1042 Nostrand Avenue. The map shows more information in the box at right. .

What I needed was the block and lot number for the location.  Block 1320 and lot 43. Using that I could search the tax photo collection and sure enough there was a photo!

    I am pretty sure this is the place. It is still most likely Mulligans since he listed his employer as that place on the WWII draft card. There is no sign in the window but above the bar is a sign hanging perpendicular to the wall that might have had some more information on it. It looks like Beer advertisements in the window and the window to the left of  the apartment entrance as well. Schaefer Beer? Nostrand avenue is still cobblestone in the photo, it was paved when I was a kid.

Here is what it looks like today,

    Using Google Maps Street View  I was able to find a recent photo. There's a Lenny's Pizza and a liquor store there now. Lenny's was the best pizza in our neighborhood. This is not the same Lenny's. The original was further south on Nostrand Ave. between Newkirk and Ave. D.

    Google Maps is wonderful it allows you to rotate and view 360 degrees and  move down the block. I took a look around and spotted spotted the Church where my Mother and father were married in 1951, St. Francis Assisi. Just South about two city blocks.

 

    I remembered that my mother lived at 1154 Nostrand in 1940.  I had a photo from the tax files.  I have often wondered if the lady in the photo was my grandmother Lucy. So they lived a few blocks down from the bar, its a small world.

Resources

New York Genealogical and Biographical Society

https://www.newyorkfamilyhistory.org/blog/find-photo-any-nyc-building-1940

Google Maps Street View.

Back To School

                St. Edmund Girls High School Brooklyn New York Graduating Class of 1944 or 45.

My Mother June is in the second row 6th from the right, looking sad or maybe bored. I recognize that look. I believe she was 16 or 17 years old. Following High School she went straight into the work force having learned skills such as typing and stenography.

St. Edmund Preparatory High School was established in 1932.  It opened on February 2, 1932 as St. Edmund Academy, a two year high school for girls, with a class of 60. In 1936 it became St, Edmund Commercial High School, offering a two year commercial program. It became a four year high school in 1962 and was renamed St. Edmund High School. 

Here's some food for thought.  A Historical view.

U.S. Percentage of High School Graduates by year.*

1899-1900	6.4
1909-1910	8.8
1919-1920	16.8
1929-1930	29.0
1939-1940	50.8

1941-1942	51.2
1943-1944	42.3
1945-1946	47.9
1947-1948	54.0
1949-1950	59.0
1951-1952	58.6

1955-1956	62.3
1957-1958	64.8
1959-1960	65.1
1961-1962	69.5
1963-1964	76.7

This table is reproduced from Kenneth A. Simon and W. Vance Grant, Digest of Educational Statistics, Office of Education, Bulletin 1965, No. 4 (Washington, D.C., U.S. Government Printing Office, 1965).

Education has changed in so many ways over the last 120 years, and yet stayed the same in many other ways. Today with the pandemic the role of educator changes almost weekly.  I see some of my own grand children in front of virtual class meetings and others wearing masks socially distanced in face to face classrooms. I think its a lot harder today for kids. Having taught High School and Middle School for 34 years I can only imagine the stress parents and teachers are experiencing at this time.


I decided to trying to find out more about the educational experience some of the members of our two families. What grade level did they reach? What kind of experiences did they have? I found two things in US Census Data. In all the censuses  these two questions that were asked; Can Read and Can Write? Also the 1940 US Census listed highest grade last attended by the household members. For adults I assumed that was the highest they had last finished. This is what I found.

Name (DOB) Can Read and Write? Highest Grade Attended (1940)


Catherine Riordan Downing (1864) YY 8th
Michael J. Downing (1893) YY
Richard C. Downing (1898) YY 8th
Timothy J. Downing (1896) YY 8th
Viola Downing (1898?) YY 8th
Lawrence J. Downing (1899) YY 8th
Francis Downing (1907) YY 8th
Eleanor Castle Downing (1904) YY
Alice Anable Downing (1896) YY College +


Peter n. Miller (1890) YY 5th
Clara S. Miller (1898) YY 11th
Teresa Miller ( 1919) YY 8th
Leonard Miller (1918) YY 8th
Sylvester Miller (1920) YY HS 4yrs
Andrew Miller (1861) YY 6th
Lizzie Thies Miller (1867) YY 8th
Lawrence Noll (1894) YY 8th
Minnie Noll (1894) YY 8th

Helen Noll (1920) YY HS +
Bloss Noll (1846) YY
Mary Hund Noll (1855) YY


The majority of our recent ancestors could read and write and went as far as eight grade.  Based on family knowledge the more recent generations have almost all finished high school, with many finishing college and advanced degrees.

Labor

    The theme this past week was; "Labor" for 52 ancestors in 52 weeks. It is a weekly writing prompt for folks researching family histories. So that is me I guess.  Thinking about the history and times that my ancestors lived in has always interested me. I enjoy finding out about the stories  more that the who begat who stuff, although I will do some of that as well as the year progresses. For this prompt I had to decide how to interpret the term labor. Having Children? Jeez there was a lot of that. Occupations? How did they make a living and get by in the situations they found themselves in.  I chose occupations. So I set out to back track through the two sides of our families, my wife's being the Millers and mine the Downing side, to see just what these folks did for a living.

    I've listed the names, date of birth and occupations I found in a several  sources. The best source for this was Federal  and State Census information. Ive also listed some occupations that might not have appeared in legal forms but have come from family lore.

Here are some of the ways people in our families chased the American Dream

 

                The Millers and Nolls have been farming for a long time! Kansas was a territory when they arrived.

                                                    Photo courtesy Kansas Historical Society

                                            Blauss Noll Farm circa 1918 Winchester Kansas

    * Andrew (1861) Farmer. Lizzie (1867) Keeping House 

    * Peter ( 1890) Farmer. Clara (1898) Housewife

    * Leoba (18) H.W, Keeping House

    * Blausis (1846) Farmer, Farm Manager. Mary (1855) "none"

    * Lawrence (1894) Farmer. Minnie (1895) "H.W." "At Home.

    * Sylvester Miller (1920) Farmer, Night watchman. Helen Noll Miller (1927), Hair Stylist, "Farm Partner".

    * John Shaltz (1868) Farmer.  Mary Wertin Shaltz (1876) "blank"

    * Thomas Corpstein (1856) Farmer. Kate Corpstein "none"

    

        The Downings and Moores have been doing a  little bit of everything.

    * Michael Downing (1868) Laborer, Catherine Riordan Downing (1864) Grocery Store, House Work. Boarding House, At Home.

    * Louis Moore (1893) "Unemployed", Private Detective, Clerk, Laborer. Lucy  Sinclair Moore (1901) "None" , "HW", Small Time Bookie.

    * Asa Moore (1857) Carpenter. Augusta Johnson Moore (1865) "none"

    * Lawrence Downing (1899) Runner Brokerage NYC, Bartender, Bar Owner and Speakeasy. Eleanor Castle Downing (1904) Nurse, "none. Alice Downing (1899) Teacher, HW.

    * Lucius Castle (1881) Carpenter, Farmer. Sarah Cummings Castle (1872) House work, Housewife , "none".

    * Daniel Castle Jr. (1849) Farmer. Fannie Castle "none" 

    * Lawrence Downing Jr. (1927) Police Officer. June Moore Downing (1928) Paralegal, Clerical Secretary, News Reporter, 

    * Richard Sinclair (1846) Actor, Model, Bartender, Barman, Watchman New Buildings, Gardener. Ellen Gordon Sinclair

 

                                                Brooklyn , Flatbush Avenue 1920s

Richard Sinclair in a Camel Cigarette ad 1923 Brooklyn

                                                    Timothy "Ted" Downing NYPD 1922

                            Lawrence Downing and fellow Officers 1970s Far Rockaway NY

                                    June Downing on assignment as a reporter Flatbush Life 1960s

                                        Jeannette Moore Fashion Retailer 1910s Brooklyn

                                                    Fireman Bill O'Leary and sons Brooklyn 1960s

In looking at the information two things jumped out at me.

1. The work of  the women  both on the farm and elsewhere was not seen as an "occupation". I was not raised on a farm, my wife was and I have seen that a farm doesn't run solely on the labor of the "head" of house. Farming is a labor intensive three hundred sixty five days a year profession that requires the knowledge, skills, and ingenuity of both people in the home, and the added labor of the children. The contributions of women to farming were undervalued when listed as "none" or "at home" or left blank as it was in at least once for each couple over time.   I shared this  list with my wife. She shared a story with me about her parents Sam and Helen. At some time in their past Sam and Helen  had this discussion; Helen asked Sam "just what is you think I do here. what is my role? Sam Replied "You are may partner in the farm, of course". Sam was a wise man.

                                             Sam and Helen Miller Jefferson County Kansas

2. Our ancestors who immigrated to farm country until this present generation pretty much stayed in that occupation. Our ancestors who immigrated to cities had many more "occupations" making ends meet. Laborers, actors, vaudeville performers, clerks, cab drivers, sanitation workers, lawyers, bartenders, watch polishers, pattern makers, nurses,  police officers, and fire fighters. Stories of speakeasys, bootlegging, and bookie making also  filled the air of family dinners in the past. Police work or "on the job' as its known has been in my family for over a hundred years. In searching records I found my Grandmothers maternal Grandfather was a New York Police Officer  in the late 1800s. I had a Great Uncle who was a Detective, Two Uncles and My Father all worked for The NYPD,  my Aunt  worked in corrections, Uncles who were NYFD Firefighters, and my Uncles mother was one of the early "Police Matrons" in New York. For most city immigrants working in some capacity for the city even in construction was pretty constant until the present generation as we have spread out across the country.

NYPD uniforms through the years. Illustration courtesy NYPD History site.